It’s frustrating when your phone gets hot while it’s charging. An overheating phone can be concerning, especially if it’s happening frequently. But don’t worry, there are some simple steps you can take to cool things down.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions about phones overheating during charging:
What causes a phone to overheat while charging?
The main culprits are using the wrong charger, charging while using the phone intensively, charging in hot conditions, a faulty battery, or a buildup of debris/dust in the charging port.
Should I be worried if my phone overheats while charging?
As long as it doesn’t happen all the time, there’s no need to worry. But if the phone repeatedly overheats while charging, it could indicate an underlying issue.
How can I keep my phone from overheating when charging?
Use the original charger that came with the phone, avoid intensive use while charging, charge in a cool area, clean out the charging port, or replace an aging battery.
What temperature is too hot for a charging phone?
Consistently above 113°F/45°C is considered too hot. At 130°F/54°C, the phone may become damaged or unsafe to handle.
Should I replace my phone if it keeps overheating while charging?
Not necessarily. Try a different charger, replace the battery, clean the port, update software and only replace if these don’t fix it.
What Causes a Phone to Overheat While Charging?
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common culprits behind phones overheating during charging:
Using the Wrong Charger
One of the biggest reasons phones overheat when charging is the use of an incompatible or faulty charger. Phone manufacturers carefully design chargers to meet the power delivery needs of their devices. Using a third-party or generic charger that doesn’t match these specs can force too much power into the phone, causing it to heat up.
Likewise, using a frayed or damaged official charger can also disrupt smooth power flow. So it’s always best to use the charger that originally came with your phone. Don’t use a friend’s charger even if it’s designed for the same phone model – slight manufacturing variations mean it probably won’t be an exact match.
Charging While Using the Phone Intensively
Smartphones are designed to withstand normal levels of use while charging. But using the phone intensively for gaming, video streaming, augmented reality applications or other demanding apps can push it past safe heat thresholds.
That’s because intensive use already generates internal heat from the processor and other components working hard. Adding charging to this mixes the existing heat with extra heat from power flowing into the battery.
It’s best to avoid prolonged heavy use of the phone while it’s plugged in and charging. Give it a break from demanding apps and games until it’s fully charged.
Charging in Hot Conditions
The ambient temperature around your phone matters too. Charging in hot conditions like under strong sunlight or inside a hot car can send temperatures soaring.
The battery and other internal components already have to work harder to shed heat in hot conditions. Adding charging to this can cause overheating. So it’s best to avoid charging your phone when it’s already warm from the surroundings.
Faulty Battery
If your phone battery has deteriorated or become damaged from extensive use over time, it may not be able to handle charging current properly. This can generate excess heat that builds up inside the battery and phone interior.
Aging lithium-ion batteries gradually lose their ability to efficiently regulate temperature. So an older battery that’s nearing the end of its useful lifespan is more prone to getting warm while charging. Replacing an old battery can help manage this issue.
Buildup of Debris in the Charging Port
Dust, lint and other particles accumulating in the phone’s charging port can prevent proper contact between the charger and port terminals. This poor connection forces higher power draw as the charger tries harder to charge the battery.
Using compressed air to blow out the port or carefully cleaning it with a toothpick can remove debris buildup. Prevent future buildup by keeping the port covered with the dust plug when not charging the phone.
Should You Be Worried if Your Phone Gets Hot While Charging?
Seeing your phone get warm or even hot when it’s plugged in can certainly be alarming. But in most cases it’s not something to be overly worried about, provided some basic precautions are followed.
It’s Generally Safe if it Doesn’t Happen All the Time
Phones are designed to handle occasional heating as a byproduct of charging. The battery, processor and other components can tolerate surges in temperature as long as they are temporary and do not happen during every charge cycle.
So if your phone only gets hot sometimes when charging or when charging under extreme conditions like in direct sunlight, it’s usually not a major issue. Just move it to a cooler spot and finish charging once it’s cooled off a bit.
But Consistent Overheating While Charging May Indicate an Issue
However, if your phone repeatedly heats up when charging under normal circumstances, it likely means something is wrong. Consistent overheating can shorten battery life, damage phone components, and degrade performance over time.
Frequent overheating warrants further investigation to identify the exact cause, whether it’s use of an incompatible charger, clogged port, old battery, or other factors. Addressing the underlying issue can restore normal function.
Extreme Overheating Requires Immediate Action
In rare cases, severely high temperatures can make a phone unsafe to handle and even result in damage. If your phone becomes extremely hot to the touch when charging, disconnect it immediately. Extreme heat typically indicates a problem with the battery itself.
Don’t attempt to use or charge a phone that’s dangerously hot until you’ve had it inspected by the manufacturer. And avoid charging a phone that gets unusually hot during normal use, as it may have serious underlying issues.
How Can I Keep My Phone from Overheating When Charging?
If your phone often gets hot when charging, here are some tips to help keep temperatures under control:
Use the Original Charger
As mentioned earlier, it’s important to use the charger that came with your phone. Original manufacturer chargers are engineered specifically for each phone model. Third-party chargers often don’t provide ideal power delivery, resulting in heat buildup.
Avoid Heavy Use While Charging
Prevent overheating by not using the phone intensively when it’s charging. Gaming, video streaming, augmented reality features, cameras and other demanding apps produce internal heat that gets amplified when charging. Keep use light until fully charged.
Charge in a Cool Spot
Pick a well-ventilated, cooler part of the room when charging your phone. Avoid enclosed spaces like cabinets or directly next to a heat source which can warm the phone even before charging begins. High ambient temperatures make it easier for phones to overheat.
Clean Out Your Charging Port
Carefully clean out any lint or debris in your phone’s charging port using compressed air, a toothpick or non-conductive tool. Dust buildup leads to poor charger contact and heat buildup. Keep the port clean and use the dust plug when not charging.
Replace an Aging Battery
If your phone’s battery is getting old, replacing it can help prevent overheating issues. Older batteries become less efficient at regulating temperature during charging. Installing a new battery restores proper heat management.
Update Your Phone Software
Manufacturers periodically release software updates that improve charging functionality. Updating to the latest OS version may include temperature regulation enhancements that keep your phone cooler when charging.
Use a Heat Management App
Consider using a battery temperature monitoring app that can alert you when your phone is getting too hot while charging. Many include other features like charging alarms and phone cooling assistance.
Switch to a Lower Wattage Charger
If your phone supports both fast and standard charging, switch to using a lower wattage standard charger. Fast charging outputs more power to charge phones quicker, which may cause overheating in some cases.
What Temperature is Too Hot for a Charging Phone?
At what point does a warm charging phone indicate a serious problem? Here are some key overheating benchmarks to keep in mind:
113°F/45°C – Start Getting Cautious
Once a charging phone reaches about 113°F/45°C, it’s time to start taking precautions. At this point, the phone may feel very warm or hot to the touch.
While not necessarily dangerous yet, this temperature indicates the phone is struggling to manage the heat properly. You’ll want to correct any charging issues or move it to a cooler location to prevent further heating.
131°F/55°C – Danger Zone
When a charging phone gets up to about 131°F/55°C, it’s reached the upper limit of safe operation. Expect it to feel very hot at this point.
If it reaches this temperature occasionally, stop charging immediately and troubleshoot the cause. But consistent temperatures in this range while charging could start damaging the battery.
140°F/60°C – Damage May Occur
At approximately 140°F/60°C, the phone is getting dangerously hot. Prolonged exposure to this temperature while charging can damage the battery and other components.
You should stop charging phones that become this hot regularly. Faulty batteries in particular can reach this range during charging. Have the phone inspected if high heat persists.
167°F/75°C – Extreme Danger
If your phone exceeds 167°F/75°C while charging, something is seriously wrong. Expect the device to be extremely hot at this point.
Charging must be stopped immediately at these extremes to avoid injury or damage. The phone could start malfunctioning or even catch fire in some cases. Get it checked by the manufacturer before charging again.
Should I Replace My Phone if it Keeps Overheating While Charging?
Does repeated overheating during charging mean your phone is beyond salvage and needs replacement? Not so fast – there are steps you can try before resorting to a costly new phone purchase.
Try a Different Charger First
Since third-party chargers often cause overheating issues, try using your phone’s original charger before anything else. Even if other chargers are the same model, slight deviations in manufacturing can lead to heat buildup.
Replace the Battery
If the charger isn’t the problem, replacing an aging or faulty battery is the next logical step. Older batteries tend to get hotter when charging. Installing a new one restores proper heat dissipation.
Clean Out Charging Port
Inspect your phone’s charging port for compacted debris which can lead to overheating and damage the charging circuitry if left unchecked. Carefully cleaning out the port may fix overheating if due to poor charger contact.
Update Phone Software
Sometimes overheating stems from fixable software instead of hardware issues. Updating to the latest OS version can include bug fixes and improvements that regulate temperature during charging.
If Problem Persists, Get the Phone Serviced
If you’ve tried the above steps and your phone still keeps overheating when charging, then it likely has an internal hardware defect requiring professional service. Get the phone inspected by the manufacturer to identify and repair the fault.
Only Replace the Phone as a Last Resort
Assuming there are no signs of corresponding problems like battery swelling or warping, look into repair options before replacing the phone. Devices that overheat mainly when charging may have inexpensive fixes. Replacement should be the last resort.
The Bottom Line
It’s normal for phones to get a little warm when charging. But consistent overheating can shorten battery lifespan and damage other components over time. If your phone regularly gets too hot when charging:
- Use the original charger that came with your phone
- Avoid intensive phone use when charging
- Charge in a cool, ventilated space
- Clean out any debris in the charging port
- Replace an aging, inefficient battery
- Update your phone software
- Have the phone serviced if overheating persists
Taking these steps can help prevent repeated overheating when charging your phone. But ultimately, it may take replacing the battery or professional repair to permanently resolve an overheating issue in some cases.
